Publication Date: Friday, May 20, 2005
Lion on the loose -- at the Palo Alto Art Center
Lion on the loose -- at the Palo Alto Art Center
(May 20, 2005) British youngsters create drawings inspired by infamous cougar shooting
by Robyn Israel
Mountain lions have yet to be sighted in the United Kingdom, but they were recently spotted in a third-grade class in Kent, England.
The ferocious felines exist solely on paper, of course -- brought to life thanks to a colorful assortment of magic markers and colored pencils. The drawings are part of "Lion on the Loose," a new exhibition currently on display at the Palo Alto Art Center. It is running in conjunction with the Center's "Youth Art" and "Cultural Kaleidoscope" exhibitions, which showcase more than 700 artworks created by local students in the Palo Alto Unified and Ravenswood City School Districts.
Inspired by last year's mountain lion shooting in Palo Alto, the show features 13 different interpretations of the notorious incident that made headlines across the nation. The artists are all English schoolchildren who presumably have never laid eyes on a California cougar.
At the heart of this whimsical, colorful show is 8-year-old curator Lily Hartzell, whose connections to England made the exhibition a reality.
The San Carlos third-grader used to live in Kent, England, where she attended St. Edmund's school for three years. She made very good friends and was sad to leave her school last year, but managed to stay in touch with her classmates through letters and e-mail.
While visiting her grandparents last year, she happened to be in the area where the mountain lion was shot, and was subsequently interviewed by the San Jose Mercury News.
``They didn't have to shoot it, they could catch it,'' she told reporter Kim Vo after the May 17 shooting.
How?
``Maybe with a piece of meat," she said.
Hartzell sent the article, along with a letter, to her former class, who then made drawings based on the story. Hartzell told her grandfather, Dr. Harry Hartzell, a retired pediatrician who now works as a docent at the Palo Alto Art Center. He encouraged her to turn the drawings into an exhibition, and after gaining the approval of director Linda Craighead and curator Signe Mayfield, she did.
"I thought it was great exhibition because it had a nice, clear idea, it was topical, and it could be produced at the same time as the 'Youth Art' exhibit. I found that appealing," Mayfield said.
The exhibition marks Hartzell's curatorial debut and the first time that the Center has had a child organize an exhibition.
"I've only accepted a few traveling shows curated by other people," Mayfield said. "I wanted a fresh perspective and this is very fresh -- something I couldn't do. I wouldn't have been able to curate this. I didn't have the contacts in England. And I like the fact that it tells a story. Hopefully kids see it and think about what they would draw."
As it turns out, Hartzell didn't have to pick and choose the best ones -- each of the 13 pieces submitted by St. Edmund's was included in the exhibition. Even Harry Stacey's makeshift lion -- a bunch of squiggles -- was selected.
"I like curating exhibits -- it's fun, especially with the people I know at the Palo Alto Art Center," Hartzell said.
Alice Bushell's drawing clearly shows her English roots. Three police officers -- two women -- appear in her drawing, all wearing the hats customarily worn by British bobbies. The trio is shown pointing their guns at the lion, which is sitting at the top of a tree.
"What should we do?" asks one of the officers in Bushell's drawing. "Shoot it?"
"Yes, let's," replies another officer.
Some of the drawings take creative license in depicting the story. For instance, animals that look more like tigers appear in Molly Mulvaney and Alice Kirkness' drawings. And Kelsey, the black Labrador who scared the mountain lion up a tree, appears in six of the drawings. In Charlie McLeod's drawing, Kelsey is identified as "the good boy," while the lion is branded "the rude boy."
"I'll get you," Kelsey tells the lion in McLeod's drawing.
"No you won't," the lion replies.
Anna James' work shows a television broadcasting news of the lion's escape in Palo Alto, with commentary from Hartzell ("They could have just got it with a piece of meat") and her younger sister, Abby, who said "I was very scared."
"Lily doesn't really like that one, because it's not precise in reporting what happened," Mayfield said.
Asked which pieces were her favorites, Hartzell said, "I'd definitely pick the ones by Alice Bushell and Sarah Lawrence, because they're my best friends."
Mayfield predicts a promising curatorial career for Hartzell, provided she learns how to deal with conflict-of-interest issues.
"It's been great fun," Mayfield said. "I'm ready for Lily to grow up and take over my job."
What: "Lion on the Loose." The exhibition includes drawings and letters from children in England, in response to an article about the shooting of a mountain lion in Palo Alto.
Where: Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road in Palo Alto
When: Through May 28. The Palo Alto Art Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday evenings 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
Cost: Admission is free.
Info: Please call (650) 329-2366 or visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/artcenter.
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